Have you ever wished there were an organic version of the Flock Block®? I totally have!
With this homemade chicken snack block recipe, you can make your own version of an organic flock block for your favorite hens.
This recipe is easy to make and is pretty flexible. You basically need about 6 cups total of mixed chicken friendly grains, nuts, seed, etc. So if you don't have the ingredients I list, be creative.
It's a great way to clean out your pantry!
Stale corn flakes? (organic, of course) Throw them in the block!
Tried quinoa for the first time and it's definitely NOT for you? Throw it in the block!
Killer deal on bird seed at the feed store? You get the idea.
Looking for more chicken keeping tips, tricks and hacks?
Did you know I am the author of the super awesome chicken keeping handbook: Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens? I am!
Buy it from Amazon or Barnes and Noble today!
What is a Flock Block?
The Purina Flock Block® is a proprietary chicken snack and boredom buster. It is designed to encourage chickens' natural pecking instincts and in addition to grains (and other ingredients) also contains oyster shell and grit.
Purina's Flock Block® is designed to be a supplement and not the primary way you feed your chickens.
What are the ingredients in Purina's Flock Block?
According to Tractor Supply's website, the ingredients in Purina's Flock Block® are:
- Cracked Corn
- Barley
- Milo
- Whole Wheat
- Cane Molasses
- Oyster shell Flour
- Sunflower Seed
- Sodium Bentonite
- Dehulled Soybean Meal
- Lignin Sulfonate
- Salt
- Grit
- Dicalcium Phosphate
- Monocalcium Phosphate
- Propionic Acid (a Preservative)
- Choline Chloride
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- L-Lysine
- Biotin
- Riboflavin Supplement
- Niacin Supplement
- Vitamin E Supplement
- Vitamin D3 Supplement
- Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K)
- Vitamin A Supplement
- Vitamin B-12 Supplement
- Folic Acid
- Sodium Selenite
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- Calcium Carbonate
- Manganous Oxide
- Zinc Oxide
- Copper Sulfate
- Calcium Iodate
Can I get an organic Flock Block?
Even though Purina has added organic feed to their product line up, they do not yet offer an organic Flock Block®.
As of today the only way to get a Flock Block style chicken snack is by making your own with organic ingredients.
As of today the only way to get a Flock Block style chicken snack is by making your own with organic ingredients.
Are Flock Blocks good for chickens?
Giving chickens healthy snacks that they can peck at and break up is great for them!
Of course, I prefer to give my chickens the healthiest snacks possible. That's part of why I'm raising my own chickens, afterall.
We know that Purina's Flock Block® isn't organic.
Since Purina's listed ingredients contain grains that are often grown as GMOs (corn and soybeans) and other grains where glyphosate is often used to harvest them, I have a sneaking suspicion that there's some significant glyphosate contamination happening in the name brand Flock Block®.
Since avoiding glyphosate is something I try to do as much as possible, I decided to develop my own Flock Block inspired chicken snack loaf and my chickens love it!
My Recipe for a DIY Flock Block Style Snack Loaf for Chickens
Ingredients
Some links below are affiliate links
Some links below are affiliate links
- 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, lard or bacon grease
- 4 eggs (including their shells!)
- 2 cups whole grain chicken feed* (My chickens love Scratch and Peck Organic Layer feed)
- 2 cups scratch grains* (choose one that's organic if that's important to you!)
- 1 cup flax seeds*
- 1/2 cup rolled oats*
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup flour*
Also needed:
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium size (4 cups ish) mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Long handled spoon
*Creative Green Living recommends purchasing these ingredients as organic where available to avoid GMOs, pervasive pesticides and/or questionable farming practices.
Pro tip: Clean out your pantry or grain bin by combining any mix of chicken friendly, whole grain chicken food, scratch, grains, nuts and more - you need six cups total
Gluten free? No problem! This recipe works with both whole wheat and gluten free all-purpose type flours.
(the above is an illustration only - I would recommend waiting about 8 weeks before making a snack block for baby chicks you are raising in a brooder. Always match the type of food or grain used to the age of your chickens)
Directions
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. I basically lay a piece of parchement over my loaf pan and smash it down to make kind of a DIY muffin cup. But loaf size.
Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. I basically lay a piece of parchement over my loaf pan and smash it down to make kind of a DIY muffin cup. But loaf size.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 2:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the molasses, fat and 4 eggs (save the shells)
Optional: Make the shells easier to crush later by putting them on a small baking sheet and pop them it the pre-heating oven to dry out while you do step 3
Optional: Make the shells easier to crush later by putting them on a small baking sheet and pop them it the pre-heating oven to dry out while you do step 3
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 3:
In the large mixing bowl, mix all remaining dry ingredients and grains (or your 6 cups of mixed grains and chicken feed).
Add the dried out egg shells from step 2, smashing to crush them into small pieces and mix into the grains.
Add the dried out egg shells from step 2, smashing to crush them into small pieces and mix into the grains.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 4:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until well combined and no dry pockets remain.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 5:
Turn the mixture out into the parchment lined loaf pan, pressing the mix down to compact it in the pan.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 6:
Bake loaf pan in a preheated oven for 45 minutes.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 7:
Remove baked snack block from oven and allow to completely cool before removing from loaf pan to prevent crumbling.
DIY Flock Block Style Snack Block Step 8:
Feed your snack block to your chickens!
Enjoy!
If you love this Flock Block inspired recipe, be sure to pin it to save it for later!
PRINTABLE DIY FLOCK BLOCK INSPIRED CHICKEN SNACK LOAF RECIPE
How to Make a Flock Block Copycat Chicken Snack
Yield: 1 block
Estimated cost: $10
prep time: 15 Mperform time: 45 Mtotal time: 60 M
If you ever wished there were an organic version of Purina's Flock Block on the market, this project is for you! This copycat, homemade chicken snack block will remind you of the Flock Block available in feed stores but now you have 100% control over the ingredients!
materials:
- 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, lard or bacon grease
- 4 eggs (including their shells!)
- 2 cups whole grain chicken feed
- 2 cups scratch grains
- 1 cup flax seeds
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup flour
tools:
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium size (4 cups+) mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Long handled spoon
steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the molasses, fat and 4 eggs (save the shells) Optional: Make the shells easier to crush later by putting them on a small baking sheet and pop them it the pre-heating oven to dry out while you do the next step.
- In the large mixing bowl, mix all remaining dry ingredients and grains (or your 6 cups of mixed grains and chicken feed). Add the dried out egg shells from step 2, smashing to crush them into small pieces and mix into the grains.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until well combined and no dry pockets remain.
- Turn the mixture out into the parchment lined loaf pan, pressing the mix down to compact it in the pan.
- Bake loaf pan in a preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove baked snack block from oven and allow to completely cool before removing from loaf pan to prevent crumbling.
- Feed your snack block to your chickens!
NOTES:
Gluten free? No problem! This recipe works with both whole wheat and gluten free all-purpose type flours.
Check out Carissa's book!:
Copyright 2018, Creative Green Living
About the Author:
Carissa is a lifelong crafter and mom of two creative boys. The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she won the Craftys Award for the "Best Craft Blogger" category in 2016 and the ShiftCon award for "Best DIY Blogger" in 2018.
Her goal is to empower families to make easy projects and healthier choices that are beautiful and delicious! She is also the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017) and Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018).
Her projects have been featured in magazines like Kids Crafts 1-2-3, Capper's Farmer and Urban Farm Magazine. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe.
Her goal is to empower families to make easy projects and healthier choices that are beautiful and delicious! She is also the author of the hardcover cookbook, Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017) and Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018).
Her projects have been featured in magazines like Kids Crafts 1-2-3, Capper's Farmer and Urban Farm Magazine. Follow her on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter or join the Creative Green Living Tribe.
Do you like this post? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
When you subscribe you can download our FREE Recycled Crafts E-book!
Hello there! I have your book as well and I am planning to try out this snack block recipe with my three poor molting, ladies. Since I only have three girls, can I cut the cooked block in half and save it for later? Also, how often do you recommend giving them these snack blocks?
ReplyDeleteHello! Thanks for buying my book, too. 💖
DeleteA better strategy than cutting the cooked block in half after cooking (it might be hard or get crumbly) might be to cook the block in two smaller pans to make smaller blocks. You can wrap up and then freeze the one you don't feed the chickens to save for later.
How often you feed will depend a lot on what the rest of your hens' diet looks like and how often you give other treats. Keep in mind that these are treats and boredom busters. Don't feed these so often they replace meals. For 3 hens, I think a half block once a week is probably good.